Radhika Apte photographed in Mumbai.
New Delhi:
Actress Radhika Apte has spoken to news agency PTI about male actors she knows who have been sexually harassed. "Not just women, men also go through sexual abuse. I am specifically talking about the industry, I know a lot of men who have gone through this as well. It's high time this comes out," the 32-year-old actress told PTI. Sexual harassment in film circles is being increasingly discussed after Hollywood mega-producer Harvey Weinstein was outed as a predator and accused by over 50 women of rape and sexual misconduct. In the post-Weinstein world, several male Hollywood actors have revealed they were sexually abused - stars Kevin Spacey and Charlie Sheen are among those accused by male co-stars.
Few in Bollywood have been as willing to go public, and nobody has as yet named and shamed alleged predators. Ranveer Singh and, recently, Irrfan Khan have spoken briefly about their experiences with the casting couch and being asked to trade sexual favours for work.
Radhika Apte explains the reluctance to out predators in Bollywood as: "The fear is there because we still have this culture where Bollywood is considered to be this inaccessible magical place. But it's not, it's a workplace. Work ethics need to be introduced at every level. That's happening. But people have to come out and start taking names. The fear also comes from 'Who is going to believe me? The other person has so much power, my complain will go unnoticed, that'll ruin my career'. That's the perception. I think more need to people speak up," she told PTI.
Predators will thrive as long as there are those willing to exchange sexual favours for a film, Radhika said. "People who exploit their power and abuse others need to be revealed. On the other hand, people are ambitious and are ready to do what is required. It needs to work from both the sides. You need to learn to say no and need to recognise when you're being exploited. You will get your due, according to your talent. at some time. Some people come here running away from home, they have nothing to fall back on. A better organisation, rules and transparency will help a lot," she told PTI.
An astoundingly long list of actresses, among them A-listers Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have come forward to accuse powerful men of sexual harassment.
Radhika Apte, star of films such as Phobia, counts Padman and 2.0 among her upcoming films.
(With inputs from PTI)
Few in Bollywood have been as willing to go public, and nobody has as yet named and shamed alleged predators. Ranveer Singh and, recently, Irrfan Khan have spoken briefly about their experiences with the casting couch and being asked to trade sexual favours for work.
Radhika Apte explains the reluctance to out predators in Bollywood as: "The fear is there because we still have this culture where Bollywood is considered to be this inaccessible magical place. But it's not, it's a workplace. Work ethics need to be introduced at every level. That's happening. But people have to come out and start taking names. The fear also comes from 'Who is going to believe me? The other person has so much power, my complain will go unnoticed, that'll ruin my career'. That's the perception. I think more need to people speak up," she told PTI.
Predators will thrive as long as there are those willing to exchange sexual favours for a film, Radhika said. "People who exploit their power and abuse others need to be revealed. On the other hand, people are ambitious and are ready to do what is required. It needs to work from both the sides. You need to learn to say no and need to recognise when you're being exploited. You will get your due, according to your talent. at some time. Some people come here running away from home, they have nothing to fall back on. A better organisation, rules and transparency will help a lot," she told PTI.
An astoundingly long list of actresses, among them A-listers Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have come forward to accuse powerful men of sexual harassment.
Radhika Apte, star of films such as Phobia, counts Padman and 2.0 among her upcoming films.
(With inputs from PTI)
